Colombia’s Prosecutor General’s Office announced corruption charges against former Finance Minister Oscar Ivan Zuluaga and former Transport Minister Cecilia Alvarez.
Also included in the criminal charges is David Zuluaga, the son of the former finance minister and his father’s campaign manager ahead of the 2014 presidential elections.
The criminal charges are part of an ongoing investigation into the bribery practices of the now-defunct Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.
According to the prosecution, Zuluaga met on several occasions with former Odebrecht executive Eleuberto Antonio Martorelli ahead of the 2014 elections to discuss campaign financing.
The Brazilian firm ended up transferring $1.6 million to publisher “Duda” Mendoza, who in turn offered free services to the campaign of Zuluaga, the then-candidate of the far-right Democratic Center party.
Alvarez allegedly signed off on an extension of a contract with Odebrecht that allowed the Brazilians to construct a highway without the necessary permissions.
According to previous court sentences, Odebrecht began bribing its way into Colombia’s construction sector in 2009 when Zuluaga’s informal boss, Alvaro Uribe, was president.
The bribes secured the Brazilians’ bid to construct the so-called “Sun Route” that connects the capital Bogota with sea ports on the Caribbean coast.
Investigations into Odebrecht’s local partners have been bogged down by their proximity to the authorities that are supposed to investigate them.